万物简史 第313期:地下的烈火(21)

 　　At that time, the lower forty-eight United States had not seen a volcanic¹ eruption² for over sixty-five years. 当时，美国本土的48个州在过去的65年里没有见过火山爆发。

　　Therefore the government volcanologists called in to monitor and forecast St. Helens's behavior primarily had seen only Hawaiian volcanoes in action, 因此，大多数被召集来监测和预报圣海伦斯火山活动的政府火山学家，只见过夏威夷的火山喷发。

　　and they, it turned out, were not the same thing at all. 结果证明，二者根本不是一回事。

　　St. Helens started its ominous³ rumblings on March 20. 3月20日，圣海伦斯火山开始发出不祥的隆隆声。

　　Within a week it was erupting magma, albeit⁴ in modest amounts, up to a hundred times a day, and being constantly shaken with earthquakes. 不出一个星期，它已经在喷出岩浆，尽管量不大，每天却多达100次，还常常伴有地震。

　　People were evacuated⁵ to what was assumed to be a safe distance of eight miles. 人们撤到了13公里以外被认为是安全的地方。

　　As the mountain's rumblings grew St. Helens became a tourist attraction for the world. 随着山里的隆隆声越来越响，圣海伦斯火山成了世界上一处旅游胜地。

　　Newspapers gave daily reports on the best places to get a view. 报纸每天都报道观看的最佳位置。

　　Television crews repeatedly flew in helicopters to the summit, and people were even seen climbing over the mountain. 电视记者不断乘直升机飞抵山顶，甚至看见有人爬过山去。

　　On one day, more than seventy copters and light aircraft circled the summit. 有一天，70多架直升机和轻型飞机在山顶上盘旋。

　　But as the days passed and the rumblings failed to develop into anything dramatic, 但是，时间一天天过去了，隆隆的声音并没有结出戏剧性的果实，

　　people grew restless, and the view became general that the volcano wasn't going to blow after all. 人们越来越不安，普遍认为这座火山毕竟还会喷发。

　　On April 19 the northern flank of the mountain began to bulge⁶ conspicuously⁷. 4月19日，火山北侧开始明显鼓起。

　　Remarkably⁸, no one in a position of responsibility saw that this strongly signaled a lateral⁹ blast. 不可思议的是，没有一个负责人明白，这显然预示着火山的一侧就要爆发。

　　The seismologists resolutely¹⁰ based their conclusions on the behavior of Hawaiian volcanoes, which don't blow out sideways.  火山学家们根据夏威夷的火山活动方式下了结论，认为火山不会侧面喷发。

1 volcanic   

adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的

参考例句：

• There have been several volcanic eruptions this year.今年火山爆发了好几次。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

2 eruption   

n.火山爆发；（战争等）爆发；（疾病等）发作

参考例句：

• The temple was destroyed in the violent eruption of 1470 BC.庙宇在公元前1470年猛烈的火山爆发中摧毁了。
• The eruption of a volcano is spontaneous.火山的爆发是自发的。

3 ominous   

adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的

参考例句：

• Those black clouds look ominous for our picnic.那些乌云对我们的野餐来说是个不祥之兆。
• There was an ominous silence at the other end of the phone.电话那头出现了不祥的沉默。

4 albeit   

conj.即使；纵使；虽然

参考例句：

• Albeit fictional,she seemed to have resolved the problem.虽然是虚构的，但是在她看来好象是解决了问题。
• Albeit he has failed twice,he is not discouraged.虽然失败了两次，但他并没有气馁。

5 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

6 bulge   

n.突出，膨胀，激增；vt.突出，膨胀

参考例句：

• The apple made a bulge in his pocket.苹果把他口袋塞得鼓了起来。
• What's that awkward bulge in your pocket?你口袋里那块鼓鼓囊囊的东西是什么？

7 conspicuously   

ad.明显地，惹人注目地

参考例句：

• France remained a conspicuously uneasy country. 法国依然是个明显不太平的国家。
• She figured conspicuously in the public debate on the issue. 她在该问题的公开辩论中很引人注目。

8 remarkably   

ad.不同寻常地，相当地

参考例句：

• I thought she was remarkably restrained in the circumstances. 我认为她在那种情况下非常克制。
• He made a remarkably swift recovery. 他康复得相当快。

9 lateral   

adj.侧面的，旁边的

参考例句：

• An airfoil that controls lateral motion.能够控制横向飞行的机翼。
• Mr.Dawson walked into the court from a lateral door.道森先生从一个侧面的门走进法庭。

10 resolutely   

adj.坚决地，果断地

参考例句：

• He resolutely adhered to what he had said at the meeting. 他坚持他在会上所说的话。
• He grumbles at his lot instead of resolutely facing his difficulties. 他不是果敢地去面对困难，而是抱怨自己运气不佳。